Sawt Falasteen - Hamilton feeling 'connected' to new Ferrari car at test sessions

Hamilton was seventh-fastest on the day and managed 44 laps, while his teammate Charles Leclerc put in 70 and was 0.6sec faster in third place.

After a miserable first season at Ferrari last year, seven-time world champion Hamilton said he felt in sync with the Scuderia's new car -- the SF-26.

"Last year we were locked into a car that ultimately I inherited," Hamilton said.

"This is a car that I've been able to be a part of developing on the simulator for the last 10 months.

"And so a bit of my DNA is within it. I'm more connected to this one for sure."

For the first time in his career, Hamilton failed to even muster a podium finish last term as he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings.

But he said he is entering the new season in a positive frame of mind.

"I really felt like I spent a lot of time rebuilding over this winter, refocusing, really getting my body and my mind to a much better place," the 41-year-old said.

"I generally feel, personally, in the best place that I've been in a long, long time.

"And then the car, we've started off quite well so far. It's an exciting time with this new generation of car."

Every car on the grid has undergone a radical change since the end of last season following dramatic regulation changes to both chassis and engines.

But the four teams that topped the constructors' standings last season -- McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari -- appear increasingly dominant.

The objective of these tests is to accumulate laps to collect as much data as possible on the reliability of the hybrid units -- 50 percent thermal, 50 percent electric -- and the behaviour of the single-seaters, before the first Grand Prix of the season in Melbourne on March 8.

C.AbuSway--SF-PST